student handbook UA F G R A D UAT E

Transcription

1 G r a d u at e student handbook UA F G R A D UAT E SCHOOL 202 Eielson Building PO Box Fairbanks, AK Phone: (907) Fax: (907) uaf-grad-school@alaska.edu Homepage:

2 Greetings! Congratulations on your acceptance to your UAF graduate program. We at the Graduate School are here to assist you during your time at UAF. This handbook has been prepared to help you through your graduate program. As you read through, make notes, ask questions, and give us feedback on how to make this a better resource. Once again, congratulations and best of luck with your studies! The Graduate Student Manual will acquaint you with information, procedures, and policies with regard to your degree program. Together with the UAF catalog, this handbook will provide you with information about your degree requirements and responsibilities as a student. Please note that the UAF catalog is the ultimate authority. This manual does not supersede the UAF catalog. Please use this as a reference and if you cannot find an answer to a specific question, please do not hesitate to contact your advisor, academic office or any of us at the Graduate School. Dr. John Eichelberger Dean graddean@uaf.edu Graduate School Staff Laura Bender, Director lebender@alaska.edu Hope Bickmeier, Coordinator uaf-grad-school@alaska.edu Faith Fleagle, Coordinator uaf-grad-school@alaska.edu Juan Goula, Coordinator jagoula@alaska.edu Front cover photos courtesy of Todd Paris (2012)

3 How the UAF Graduate School communicates information regarding events or opportunities: For correspondence UAF uses only official alaska.edu addresses. Your UAF can be forwarded to your personal account. More information is available in Google Mail google.alaska.edu. Facebook Add us as a Facebook friend: University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School Twitter Follow us on Twitter: UAF Graduate School Listservs For official UAF & Graduate School information (workshops, scholarships/fellowships, etc.) For information on off-campus housing, job opportunities, outside funding, etc. Website

4 3 Table of Contents Page COVER PAGE... 1 GREETINGS!... 1 GRADUATE SCHOOL STAFF FACEBOOK & TWITTER... 2 LISTSERVERS... 2 WEBSITE... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS... 3 EXPECTATIONS... 5 STUDENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:... 5 KEEPING ON TRACK IN YOUR PROGRAM... 9 STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR PUBLISHING PAPERS, THESES, DISSERTATIONS, ETC: FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND OTHER RESOURCES TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS BEING A TEACHING ASSISTANT Tips for being an effective TA BEING A RESEARCH ASSISTANT HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS Academic Problems Problems with Research Problems with Money Problems with your Major Advisor FORBIDDEN FACULTY BEHAVIOR COMMITTEE, DEPT. CHAIR, SCHOOL/COLLEGE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES COMMITTEE CHAIR (MAJOR ADVISOR) ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: COMMITTEE MEMBERS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: DEPARTMENT CHAIR S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: COLLEGE DEAN S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:... 27

5 4 GRADUATE SCHOOL STAFF S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: GRADUATE SCHOOL DEAN S RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE: BEING AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AT UAF IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS STATUS WORKING ON CAMPUS FINANCIAL AID HEALTH INSURANCE STUDENT RESOURCES AT UAF... 32

6 5 Expectations As a graduate student you are fully responsible for knowing and complying with all of the regulations and requirements for the completion of the graduate degree you are seeking. For this reason, it is essential that you become familiar with the policies and regulations outlined in this manual, in the UAF catalog, and on the Graduate School website All Graduate School forms can be found on the main UAF Graduate School website. Student roles and responsibilities include: Appointment of Committee Identify and seek departmental approval for a committee of three (Master s) or four 1 (Ph.D.) faculty willing to supervise your graduate program, including the final thesis/project. The committee must include a chair (or major advisor), which is the faculty member with whom you work most closely on your research project or thesis 2. Some departments permit Affiliate Faculty or other qualified persons to serve on graduate committees. Check with your department to find out the policies on committee composition. You should submit an Appointment of Graduate Advisory Committee (form 2) to the Graduate School and have an initial meeting with your graduate committee before the end of your first year of enrollment. At this meeting the committee should discuss the Graduate Study Plan (GSP), and agree on its content. You should also submit an Annual Report form, which is an official record of your committee meeting. You should meet formally with your committee at least once per year and submit an Annual Report after each meeting. Decide, in consultation with the graduate committee chair (major advisor), an appropriate topic for research. Draft a description of the project and receive committee approval prior to enrolling in the thesis (699)/project (698) credits. Regulatory Approvals Consult with your committee chair about obtaining any regulatory approvals required for your research. University and/or agency approvals are needed for research involving human subjects, vertebrate animals, marine mammals, endangered species, public lands, radioactive materials, biohazards, hazardous materials, and other regulated activities. Note that in many cases the approval process is lengthy, so get started early. Complete any training required to comply with regulations governing your 1 A few departments require that five faculty members serve on a Ph.D. committee, check with your specific department for their committee requirements. 2 Throughout this manual Thesis is used interchangeably with Dissertation.

7 6 research or to help ensure your safety while conducting research. For example, the University requires that you have training to work in laboratories and in remote field locations, and with human subjects, vertebrate animals, hazardous materials, and radioactive materials. If you have any questions, contact the Office of Research Integrity at Graduate Study Plan In consultation with your committee and the UAF catalog, prepare a Graduate Study Plan (GSP) (form 3), which lists the courses you need to take to fulfill your program requirements, includes a description of your research topic, and lists the topics that will be included on your comprehensive examination. The GSP serves as a road map for graduate study and should be drafted early in your program (preferably by the end of your first year of study). The GSP serves as a working agreement of mutual expectation between you and your committee and should be written together. The completed Graduate Study Plan requires approval by the advisory committee, department chair, dean of your school or college, and for interdisciplinary students the dean of the Graduate School. The GSP not only contains the specific degree requirements (see the UAF catalog), but also indicates the mechanism for fulfilling these requirements (e.g., via coursework, examinations) and a projected timetable for completing various requirements. Depending on the length of your degree program, the first draft of the GSP may be your final one, although it is not unusual to find it necessary to revise your GSP. Possible reasons for revising a GSP are: a planned course is cancelled, initial results or funding changes dictate a change in research direction, etc. This is permitted and encouraged. You should recognize that the GSP is a useful and important document. Annual Report of Advisory Committee (aka Annual Report) Meet frequently with your major advisor and with the other committee members. Once a year is an absolute minimum for arranging a meeting of the entire committee. More frequent meetings are strongly suggested, especially at the beginning and end of your program. Most students should meet with their major advisor at least monthly to discuss their progress, especially when actively conducting research and writing a thesis. At one committee meeting each year, you need to present a progress report. Check with your committee well in advance of the meeting to find out what they expect in terms of content and format (e.g., written, oral, or both) of the report. Based on your progress report, your committee will submit an Annual Report of Advisory Committee (form 4), which will indicate whether or not you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. Note that your progress must be satisfactory to receive TA, RA, or Fellowship support through the University. Further, students who fail to correct deficiencies indicated by conditional or unsatisfactory reports can be dismissed on the recommendation of their committee, Department Chair, and Dean of your school or college. Your annual report will be kept in your graduate student

8 file. If you are not satisfactorily progressing through your program, your committee will submit a Conditional or Unsatisfactory progress report and will usually specify the conditions that you must meet to return to good standing and achieve satisfactory progress. Students receiving a Conditional or Unsatisfactory report should arrange to meet with their committee frequently over the next year (e.g., every three months) to report on progress. IMPORTANT NOTE: An annual report is required to be on file in the Graduate School by May 15 th of each year to remain in good standing. If you do not have a current annual report on file you will not be eligible to apply for or receive any Graduate School fellowship, grants, etc. Report on Comprehensive Exam Master s Students: Most Master s programs require a written and/or oral comprehensive examination to determine whether the student has integrated knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts underlying major and related fields. Some programs (MBA, MCE, MEd, and MEE) allow or require a capstone course or synthesizing paper instead of the comprehensive examination. Some programs integrate the comprehensive exam into the thesis defense and don t offer a separate exam. However, it is your responsibility to know your department s requirements for the exam, how it is administered, and the dates it is given. Ph.D. Students: All Ph.D. students must pass a written comprehensive exam, and most programs require an oral comprehensive exam, as well. See the catalog and departmental policies to find out which of these examinations apply to your program. Request for Outside Examiner Ph.D. students must submit a Request for Outside Examiner (online form only; Form 9) to the Graduate School at least two weeks before an oral comprehensive exam. Outside examiners are not required for master s students. It is the student s responsibility (not the major advisor s or committee chair s) to make the request. As a reminder you must have an Outside Examiner present for both the Oral Comprehensive Exam and the Dissertation Defense. All Students: After the completion of your examination you must submit a Report on Comprehensive Exam (form 5) signed by your committee chair, committee members, the department chair, and dean of your school or college (and, for Ph.D. oral exams, the outside examiner). It is your responsibility to see that this form is completed. The original should be sent to the Graduate School. For any comprehensive examination, you may pass conditionally or unconditionally. The Report on Comprehensive Exam form should specify the conditions that you will need to fulfill before the exam will be passed. 7

9 8 These can include a second, partial oral or written exam covering the areas of weakness, only; completing assigned readings and a synthesizing paper, again addressing the areas of weakness; completion of a course or courses; or other appropriate remedies chosen by the committee. The Report on Comprehensive Exam form should specify a deadline for satisfying the conditions, as well as the conditions themselves. After the conditions have been successfully met, a second Report on Comprehensive Exam form must be submitted to the Graduate School showing that you have now successfully passed the comprehensive exam. Most departments have written policies on how many times a failed comprehensive exam may be repeated. Such policies usually state that a graduate student will be dismissed from the program if they fail the comprehensive exam either two or three times, but some programs allow more attempts. Report on Completion of Language or Research Tool Requirement Proficiency in a second language or a research tool is not a university requirement, but some departments or programs may have this requirement. An advisory committee may specify a language or research tool if its requirements exceed those of the program. The advisory committee determines the specific language or research tool, guided by policies of the administrative unit in which the degree is offered. Generally, competency in a second language is required. However, upon approval of the department or program head, the committee may substitute computer languages, statistics, mathematics, or study in areas such as history or philosophy of science, business, administration, law or economics. In all instances, topics selected must support the student s degree program. A Report on Completion of Language or Research Tool Requirement (form 8) must be submitted to the Graduate School when the requirement is completed. Advancement to Candidacy The Advancement to Candidacy formally establishes your specific degree requirements and it is in the best interests of both you and your advisory committee that you apply for candidacy as soon as you qualify. If you are a master s student, the Application for Advancement to Candidacy (form 10) should be submitted to the Graduate School after you have completed 9 credits of coursework and, if required, passed your comprehensive exam. Ph.D. students should submit their Application for Advancement to Candidacy (form 11) as soon as they have finished any required coursework and passed the comprehensive exam. At the latest, this form must be submitted at least one semester before you plan to graduate. The finalized Graduate Study Plan should be used as a basis for completing the Application for Advancement to Candidacy, but it is not necessary to submit a Graduate Study Plan with the Application for Advancement to Candidacy form. Note that any subsequent changes in your program will require you to submit a Graduate Student Petition (form 12) form, to amend the

10 Advancement to Candidacy. 9 Report on Project Defense After the completion of a project defense, you must submit a Report on Project Defense (form 7) signed by the committee chair, committee members, the department chair, and Dean. The original must be sent to the Graduate School; most departments retain a copy in their files, but if not it is prudent for the major advisor, student or both to keep one. The Conditional Pass is usually appropriate for flawed defenses of work that can be remedied by re-analysis or re-interpretation. Failed defenses may be repeated if the departmental policy allows it. Please check with your department to see if they have a policy on failed project defenses. Report on Thesis Defense: After the completion of a thesis defense, you must submit a Report on Thesis/Dissertation Defense (form 7) signed by the committee chair, committee members, the department chair, and Dean (and, for a Ph.D. defense, the outside examiner). The original must be sent to the Graduate School; most departments retain a copy in their files, but if not it is prudent for the major advisor, student or both to keep one. The Conditional Pass is usually appropriate for flawed defenses of work that can be remedied by reanalysis or reinterpretation. Failed defenses may be repeated if the departmental policy allows it. Please check with your department to see if they have a policy on failed thesis defenses. Keeping on Track in Your Program Registration Requirement As a graduate student, you must be registered for at least six credits per academic year (fall, spring, summer), in graduate or 400-level courses relevant to your degree program, while actively working toward a degree. Those who wish to temporarily suspend their studies should obtain an approve leave of absence. You must be registered for at least three graduate (600-level) credits in the semester in which you wish to receive your degree and you must apply for graduation (form 13) in that semester. Temporary Leave of Absence If you need to temporarily suspend studies while earning a graduate degree, you must submit an approved Leave of Absence (form 14) to the Graduate School. Graduate students failing to either register for at least six graduate or 400-level credits or obtain a leave of absence will be dropped from graduate study and will have to apply for reinstatement (form 15) before resuming their program. Time limitations on program You may elect to graduate under the degree requirements in effect in the first semester of your enrollment in your graduate degree program or under the

11 10 catalog in effect when you graduate. However, if you don t meet the continuous registration requirements, you waive the right to use the catalog in effect when you first entered your graduate program; you must use either the catalog in effect during the semester of your re-entry or the catalog in effect when you graduate. All non-academic policies and regulations listed in the current UAF catalog apply, regardless of the catalog you are using for your degree requirements. All coursework listed on your advancement to candidacy form and all other degree requirements must be satisfactorily completed within seven years for a master s degree and ten years for a Ph.D. Grade Point Average and Grade Requirements You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) for good standing and in courses identified on your Advancement to Candidacy form to graduate and to maintain your research or teaching assistantship (if applicable). You must earn an A or B grade (no P grades) in 400-level courses; a C grade will be accepted in 600-level courses for the purpose of satisfying degree requirements provided you maintain a B grade average. Students who have GPAs slightly below 3.0 and who have reasonable prospects for achieving a 3.0 GPA will be placed on Academic Probation, but are allowed to continue in the program. However, students with a cumulative GPA less than 2.7 after their first year (or 18 credits for part-time students) of graduate study are advised that their chances of successfully completing the graduate program are poor, and that withdrawing is likely their best option. (A GPA of 2.67 for 18 credits would be the result of 2 C s and 4 B s for 6, 3- credit courses). Students with a GPA less than 3.0 after their second year of graduate study, or after one year of academic probation, whichever is later, will be academically disqualified from the academic program in which they are enrolled. Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit Up to 50% of graduate program credits, if approved by the student s graduate advisory committee, can be credits earned as a non-degree seeking student (provided the credits have not counted toward a previously earned degree). Up to 50% can be transferred from UAA or UAS and up to 30% of graduate program credits, if approved by the student s graduate advisory committee, can be transferred from other institutions. Note: that these limits cannot be added together; a minimum of 50% of all credits used to meet the requirements of a degree program must be UAF credits. For example, a typical 30-credit Master s program could include at most 10 non-ua system credits, and in addition 5 UAA or UAS credits. Note that certain kinds of credits are not transferable. These include credits that are below the 400 (senior) level, credits that were not awarded a grade of B or above (including most P/F credit, unless the institution will certify that P is equivalent to B ), credits that were awarded by institutions that lack Regional Accreditation (or the equivalent in foreign countries), and credits

12 that the student s advisory committee will not accept as meeting the requirements of the student s degree program. 11 International graduate students on F-1 visa must complete their first semester in a UAF program in physical residence at UAF, including those UAF facilities located in Juneau, Palmer, Seward, Kodiak, or any of the UAF rural campuses. However, they may not reside in Anchorage, since UAA is a separate institution under Immigration regulations. Taking UAF courses via Distance Learning does not qualify as physical residence. Cooperative Ph.D. students Ph.D. students who have a UAA faculty member as major advisor and who complete the majority of their program at UAA must complete at least 12 UAF course credits as part of their degree program (as well as completing 18 UAF thesis (699) credits). Course Restrictions You may not use credit by examination, audited courses, 100-, 200-, 300-, and 500-level courses, or courses taken under the credit/no credit option to fulfill the basic course requirements of any degree program. No more than 12 credits of special topics (693 or 695) or individual study (697) may be used toward a graduate degree. The dean of the Graduate School must approve requests for exceptions to the limits by a Graduate Petition form. Student Guidelines for Publishing Papers, Theses, Dissertations, etc: If you will be submitting papers for publication based on your research, discuss authorship with your major advisor. The student must be first author on any paper that is used as a chapter in his or her thesis. Your major advisor can help you in selecting the most appropriate journals for publication. A dissertation is required of every candidate for the Ph.D. degree and a thesis is required in many Master s degree programs, as indicated under specific degree-program requirements. In other programs a project is prepared rather than a thesis. At this point you should know whether you are writing a thesis or preparing a project. The Graduate School has not imposed any requirements on the format of a project report in the non-thesis option. You must obtain specific project format requirements from your department. Note that deadlines (e.g., for thesis submission) published by the Graduate School only indicate when the item needs to be submitted to our office. Especially in the case of theses, and also in the case of projects, there is a long review process involving your committee, the Department Chair, and the Dean of your School or College. At a minimum, this will take a month to six weeks. In many cases, more time is required. Check with your department for their internal deadlines. Also, check with your committee members, department chair, and dean on their availability. Sometimes, for example, committee members will be gone for extended periods conducting

13 12 field research, attending professional meetings, etc. Obtain editorial help if necessary to meet the standards of the University and your graduate program for thesis or project quality. You also must adhere to the style manual(s) approved by your department and if you are doing a thesis then to the thesis formatting requirements of the UAF Graduate School. In addition to meeting the academic standards of your program, theses/projects must be entirely correct in terms of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and syntax (visit the Writing Center for assistance). Departments usually apply these standards to projects, as well. Prior to writing your thesis or dissertation attend a Thesis Formatting Workshop. These are conducted every semester and the specific dates will be advertised by as well as on the Graduate School website. We strongly encourage students to attend a formatting workshop at least one semester before they plan to graduate. While you write, work with your committee, asking for their comments, suggestions, and help if you have reached a writer s block. Do not feel like you are bothering your committee by keeping in communication with them. It is better to stay in touch, even if you are not making as much progress as you or the committee would like. Download a copy of the Graduate School Thesis Format Workbook from the Graduate School website: READ IT! Defend your thesis/project. After the committee has had the opportunity to review a complete draft of the thesis or project (two to three weeks is the minimum time required by most committees), you should consult your committee to find out if your thesis or project is ready to be defended. If yes, you are responsible for setting a time that is agreeable to all committee members and consistent with any department policy, reserving a room for the defense, and (Ph.D. students only: submitting a Request for Outside Examiner form to the Graduate School at least two weeks before the defense). Faculty members have many obligations that can t easily be changed, (e.g. field research) and defenses must be scheduled so that all committee members can attend. If approved by the department chair, committee members may attend by audio- or video-conference, but this is undesirable and should be avoided if possible. After the defense, a signed Report on Project Defense (form 6) or Report on Thesis or Dissertation Defense form (form 7) needs to be completed and submitted to the Graduate School. Understand that the student s faculty committee, the Graduate School, and the Graduation Office determine final acceptance of the thesis/project. Before final acceptance, all members of your committee, your department chair, dean of your school or college, and the dean of the

14 Graduate School must approve your thesis. Any of these individuals may require you to make changes or corrections. Your committee is primarily responsible for evaluating your thesis, and they will consider both the academic standards of your field and the quality of presentation (e.g., clear and correct writing, neat and easy to understand figures). Usually, the committee will give you required changes or corrections shortly after your defense. You must make those corrections before the committee members will sign the signature page of the thesis, which signifies their final approval. In most departments, the department chair also conducts a thorough review, to check for any overlooked errors, and to monitor the quality of theses for the program as a whole. He or she will sign the signature page after you have corrected any additional errors found. Most deans read only parts of theses, or selected theses, again with the purpose of monitoring quality, but they too can require changes before signing the signature page. The Graduate School always checks that format and style conform to UAF standards, and the Graduate School Dean will not give his/her final approval until you make any required corrections. The Graduate School Dean reviews selected theses in some detail, and you must also correct any errors that he/she finds before his/her final signature. Extensions It s obvious that the many steps in the evaluation process require substantial time. This is why departmental and Graduate School deadlines for thesis submission are set well before the end of the semester. DO NOT ASSUME you can get an extension to the deadline- approvals for extensions are only granted in extenuating circumstances. To get an extension from the Graduate School deadlines, it must be requested in writing by the committee chair (not the student) via the REQUEST FOR EXTENSION TO THESIS/DISSERTATION DEADLINE form. 13 Thesis Format Check: After you have had your thesis approved by your committee, department chair and dean, and you have their required signatures on the signature page, you must submit an electronic copy to the Graduate School (through etdadmin.com/uaf) by the published deadline. Original copies of the signature page(s) must be submitted to the Graduate School before the submission process is complete. The Graduate School staff will review your thesis for formatting errors and will you with any necessary corrections. Final copies of your thesis: After you make the changes required by the Graduate School, you should resubmit your final electronic copy to etdadmin.com/uaf. Once all paperwork is received, your final clearance will be submitted to the Graduation Office. The Final Clearance is typically the final paperwork required for graduation. If you feel you may be missing something, you should contact the Graduation Office to check that your record is clear for graduation. Otherwise, if anything is missing, the Graduation Office will notify you of any missing documents. Posting of your degree is dependent on clearance by all of the above and

15 14 by the UAF Business Office. Matters like unpaid parking tickets can become a serious issue at this stage. Financial Support and Other Resources There are a variety of different types of financial aid available to graduate students at UAF. The most prevalent is graduate assistantships. Graduate Assistantships that are awarded to qualified graduate students by each program. Typically graduate students are awarded a research or teaching assistantship usually at the time they re admitted into their program. Graduate assistants generally receive stipends of $12,000 to $16,000 for the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Graduate assistants can be paid for a maximum of 20 hours per week while school is in session. Students with assistantships must be registered for at least 9 credits during the fall and spring semesters (audited credits are not eligible). Teaching Assistantships include a tuition payment by the university for no more than 10 credits during each semester if the workload is 15 to 20 hours per week. If the workload is hours be week, no more than 5 credits will be included. No tuition will be included if the workload is less than 10 hours per week. Research Assistantships may include a tuition payment by grants/contracts for no more than 10 credits during each semester if the workload is hours per week. If the workload is hours per week, no more than 5 credits will be included. No tuition will be included if the workload is less than 10 hours per week. University of Alaska Foundation and UAF privately funded scholarships are also available at UAF. The deadline for applications is February 15. Early applications are strongly encouraged. The Financial Aid Office coordinates scholarship applications with the various departments, which evaluate the applications for appropriate scholarships. Applications are available online at: Other funding sources are available to assist graduate students in accomplishing their educational and research goals while at UAF. There are sources within your department, in the Graduate School, and external to the university. Depending on the source, the funds may be used for living expenses, (stipend or salary), tuition, equipment, supplies, or travel.

16 15 Time Management Tips Graduate school can be very fast paced and hectic. Here are some time saving ideas to aid you in managing your time. Get up early. Plan your daily activity each morning. Post daily, weekly and yearly goals in visible places. Check off items as you complete them. Stay on schedule; reassess and adjust goals to maximize time. Avoid time killers; misguided work, procrastination, and excessive socialization. Schedule regular meetings with your advisor; solicit feedback regarding your progress. Stay healthy, exercise and get regular sleep. Don t ignore personal needs or relationships. Check in with yourself to assure your time management strategy is effective and working for you.

17 16 Being a Teaching Assistant Tips for being an effective TA Being a teacher can be a rewarding experience with a little preparation and practice. The Graduate School offers a half-day TA training session at the beginning of the fall semester (and spring semester if demand warrants). Contact the Graduate School or visit our website for the schedule. Some departments also offer TA training specific to the courses their TAs teach; check with your department as soon as you are accepted, because the training may occur before the semester begins or immediately afterward. Graduate students should take advantage of veteran TAs and professors in their department for pointers and tips on class management. There are a variety of resources online to help new TA s organize their class, facilitate lectures, and address problems as they arise. Some things to consider as you start your duties are: Learn your students names right away--this shows you want to know them as an individual. Talk with students informally with your students before or after class. Arrive a few minutes early and don t race out of the room when class is over. Make eye contact with your students while speaking. Try different techniques to draw all students into the discussion Listen carefully to what students say and respond thoughtfully. Admit when you don t know an answer and find out the answer before the next class. Encourage discussion by asking questions that could have a variety of answers. Know that students are under a lot of stress from course work and other deadlines outside of your class. Keep your posted office hours and make sure to check your often for students who have questions. Although UAF does not offer a general guidebook on being a teaching assistant, there are many resources available online that can help you maneuver through your teaching experiences. Two excellent websites are: University of California Santa Barbara University of Maryland s Department of Computer Science: You should also check with your department and main advisor for suggestions and/or other training opportunities available.

18 Being a Research Assistant Graduate Research Assistants have highly varied tasks and responsibilities, depending on the field of research and the specific project. These have ranged from conducting studies of seals in Antarctica to studying volcanoes in Kamchatka to recording oral histories of Alaska Native elders to gleaning information from government documents archived in the Rasmuson Library. A key to success as a Research Assistant is good and frequent communication with the supervising faculty member. Most supervisors will tell you their expectations shortly after you join their project, but it s important to ask for more information if the instructions are not entirely clear to you or don t seem complete. It is also important to honestly report your progress on a regular schedule, immediately inform the faculty member if serious problems arise, and to ask for help if you need it. One general requirement is to very carefully and completely document everything that you do in connection with the research project. Here is some information that you should have as a research assistant, preferably before you commit to a particular project: (1) What, specifically, am I expected to accomplish? (2) What deadlines exist? Are these somewhat flexible, or unchangeable? (Note, for example, that some funding agencies require reports by certain dates and may impose serious penalties, like withdrawing funding, for not complying). (3) What records do you expect me to keep, in what format? (4) How often do you expect progress reports? Do you want written or oral reports? (5) Are there any scheduled activities that I must attend, without fail? For example, remote field research often has to be conducted on specific dates, because the logistical arrangements and/or scheduling of other participants are very complex. Or, if you are studying newborn seal pups, they are born only at specific times and places, and you must be there. (6) Are there any unusual physical, travel or other requirements that I should be aware of? For example, some field research requires unusually good physical condition. Some research requires long periods (many months per year) away from home. Other projects may require handling of toxic or radioactive substances; although regulations require that your exposures will be within safe limits, some individuals may be unwilling or unable (e.g., multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome) to tolerate any exposure. (7) What times and days or dates do you expect me to be present in the lab or office? (Supervisors should consider your class schedule in setting your RA schedule.) (8) How long will the RA last? 17

19 18 How to Deal with Problems The specific examples below can t include all of the problems you may face in completing your graduate degree. In general, if you don t know what to do in a particular situation, ask your Committee Chair or Department Chair. If they don t resolve the problem, you can talk with your school or college dean or with the Graduate School. Academic Problems a. Your GPA falls below 3.0. You cannot advance to candidacy or graduate with a GPA (since enrolling in your graduate program) below 3.0. However, if the problem is due to a C in only one or two courses, then you may be able to overcome it by retaking the course(s) and earning a better grade, or earning an A or two in other courses. Talk to your major advisor about the courses you should take in subsequent semesters. For example, you may need to take an undergraduate course to prepare for a retake of the course you did poorly in. b. You are doing badly in a course, but it is before the Student Initiated Withdrawal deadline. If you see that there is no way you can succeed in the course, it is probably best to withdraw. However, you should consult with your committee chair before making the decision. Some things to consider are: Is this a required course? Will it be offered again before I want to graduate? Does this course cover material I need to know to carry out my research or complete comprehensive examinations? If so, can I delay those until after I retake the course? If you are an RA, TA or international student, or the recipient of most kinds of fellowship support and financial aid, you must be a full-time student. So, you must add another course and they can be research or thesis credits as needed to maintain full-time status (may not necessarily be paid by your RA, TA, or fellowship). c. You are doing badly in a course but can t withdraw. This is a difficult situation, but here are some things to try: Talk with the instructor. Sometimes they can offer extra help, additional reading materials, or other suggestions. Talk with your committee chair. Sometimes they will be able to help with the material or suggest other faculty or students who might help. Try to find a tutor among other graduate students who have recently taken the class. Some will help for free, but some will want to be paid and you should do so if you really need the help. Try to set aside other obligations or activities so you can focus more effort on the class. If you have no free time to give up, talk to your RA or TA supervisor. They might be willing to allow you to reschedule your work, e.g., work less in the week before finals, but more in the

20 week after. However, this isn t always possible, especially for TAs teaching classes or labs. 19 d. You think a course grade or an academic decision (e.g., failure of a comprehensive examination or thesis/project defense, or a dismissal) was not made fairly based on your performance. The Faculty Senate has established an appeal process, which you must follow. The appeals process is detailed on the following web sites, and so won t be covered in detail. However, the first step is to approach the faculty member(s) involved, ask for an explanation of the grade or decision, and provide any information you think should be considered. If the faculty member(s) does not think that the grade or decision should be changed, then you may begin the formal appeal process. Note that there are deadlines for appeals, so you must begin the process very soon after the end of the semester when the grade was awarded, or immediately after receiving notification of an academic decision. Grade appeals and appeals of academic decisions typically succeed only if the student can show that the grade or decision was arbitrary and capricious. For example, if the grade was not based on course grading policies stated in the syllabus, this can be grounds for a successful appeal. Similarly, if comprehensive examinations or their evaluation did not follow departmental policies, an appeal might be successful. Appeals are usually not successful when they involve questioning academic standards or faculty member s academic judgment. Problems with Research a. You don t know what to do to take the next step with your research or to resolve a problem that has arisen with your current approach. Ask your committee chair or other committee members or other faculty, including those in different departments (if the problem lies in an area where they have special expertise), or other graduate students. They can often at least suggest a direction to pursue. However, you should understand that, especially at the Ph.D. level, you will probably reach a point where you know more about some of the specifics of your research than does your committee. So, you may need to work on the problem yourself. Perhaps you can find an answer through library research. Or, perhaps an expert at another university would be willing to offer advice by phone or . Sometimes, the answer is even to take another class, e.g., if you do not know enough statistics to complete your data analysis. b. You need supplies, equipment or other resources. Sometimes department chairs, research institute directors, deans, or the Graduate School can provide small amounts (a few hundred dollars) of assistance, if you have no other way to get what you need. Usually, any request needs to be endorsed

21 20 by your major advisor, and unfortunately funds are very limited. For larger amounts, discuss the possibility of writing a proposal to an external agency or organization with your committee chair. (Students, with rare exceptions, cannot submit proposals as Principal Investigator; a faculty member generally must fill that role.) c. You don t like doing your research. On one level, this is common. In this respect research resembles mountain climbing; it s great to get to the top, but the climb itself isn t necessarily that much fun, especially on the steep parts. There are few kinds of research that don t involve doing something boring or even unpleasant part of the time, as is true of most jobs. And there are few graduate students who don t think to themselves, at some point: Why am I doing this? Was that job at the big box store this bad? However, if you dislike almost everything about your research and/or the courses you are taking, for most of your first year, perhaps it is time to reassess. Especially if you are in a Ph.D. program, you have many years of graduate work ahead. Further, the careers you have to choose from when you finish could well involve your doing much the same thing for 30 years, or so. Would another field better suit my interests? Would it be possible for me to change to another project within my department? Should I take a leave of absence and try working for a year? Should I drop out and do something entirely different? Problems with Money a. My RA or TA has ended, but I am not finished. If you anticipate the end of financial support and you are writing a thesis/dissertation and you still have 1-2 semesters to program completion, you should apply for a Thesis Completion Fellowship through the Graduate School. Note that the deadline is in February for the next academic year. Also, note that most Fellowships are awarded to Ph.D. students, but each year several outstanding Master s students also receive a Fellowship. Sometimes faculty in your department or related fields will have short-term RAs available to carry out specific tasks. These, of course, will not be related to your thesis research, but they may provide useful experience. The best way to find out about these is to ask faculty in your department, and in departments with allied research interests. These are, unfortunately, usually not advertised in a central location. Of course, you should pursue all possible funding sources through the Financial Aid Office. Some students take a leave of absence, to work and save money for returning to school. Others take a job and continue with graduate school part-time.

22 If you are a Ph.D. student you may have several years of work remaining when your TA or RA ends. Many Ph.D. students in this situation work with their advisory committee chair to write proposals to external agencies and organizations seeking funding. The success rate varies a lot among fields and is often not high. So, you should begin seeking funding as soon as possible, preferably well before the RA or TA expires. Problems with your Major Advisor a. My major advisor is too demanding. I can t possibly do what he or she expects. Faculty (and departments) vary in what they expect of graduate students. In general, high expectations are good; most people do their best when challenged. However, occasionally a major advisor (who usually is also supervising your RA or TA) will make demands that seem unreasonable. To assess the situation, look at other students in similar positions in your department or others in the same school or college are you being treated much differently? If not, and others seem to be coping, ask them for advice. What strategies do they use to cope with the workload? If you are being singled out for much more work than other students, it is usually best to approach your advisor first. Explain that you cannot keep up with the workload, or that you don t think you have all the skills needed to do the tasks assigned efficiently. Ask for help or suggestions or adjusted deadlines. It s possible that your advisor simply didn t realize that certain jobs were especially time-consuming, or that you needed more instructions on how to carry out the work. If you think that approaching your advisor is out of the question, talk with another faculty member (often another committee member is a good choice) or the department chair. Describe your situation, ask if it is the norm for the department, and ask what to do. If there is no help within the department, you can also speak with the dean of your school or college or the dean of the Graduate School. b. My major advisor is rude and/or hypercritical. Faculty members are human and sometimes lose their tempers and yell or say inappropriate things. If this happens occasionally, especially if your major advisor apologizes later, usually it s best to forgive and forget. This may not be true in all cases, however, especially when behavior violates UAF policy on sexual harassment or discrimination, and especially when such behavior is repeated with you or with others (see section below on Forbidden Faculty Behavior). It s part of a major advisor s role to criticize constructively when necessary. No one likes criticism, and often your initial reaction will be unfavorable...you ll think that this criticism is unfair and untrue. Or alternatively (and probably worse) you ll think this confirms your deepest fear 21

23 22 about yourself, that you re incompetent. In most cases neither is true. There is some specific aspect of your work that is not satisfactory. For example, you are not keeping complete and legible records. Or, you have failed to meet an important deadline. If your advisor focuses on the specific issue(s), is courteous, explains his or her expectations for improvement, and is willing to listen to your response, then try to learn and improve. However, if your advisor criticizes you globally, either by using general or offensive terms (stupid, lazy, incompetent ) or by criticizing you (without any praise), almost every time you meet, there is clearly a problem with their supervising style. Faculty members (like other supervisors at UAF) are expected to maintain an environment that maximizes productivity, teamwork, and morale. If you think that your major advisor is not fulfilling this responsibility, then sometimes you can improve the situation by speaking with him or her. For example, point out that you are upset by frequent criticism and wonder if he is so critical because he really thinks you have few good qualities, or because he sees his role as identifying and eliminating the bad, rather than strengthening the good. Faculty don t always understand how important it is to balance praise and criticism. If you understand this is the case with your advisor, and can encourage him to praise your accomplishments occasionally, you will probably be able to work with the situation. If you think that approaching your advisor is out of the question, talk with another faculty member (often another committee member is a good choice) or the department chair. Describe your situation and ask what to do. Often you are not the only one who has had difficulty in working with the person. If there is no help within the department, you can also speak with the dean of your school or college or the dean of the Graduate School. c. My advisor does not give me the help that I need. Faculty are usually very busy people, and often they are simply unable to respond as quickly as would be ideal for the student. However, there are limits to what is reasonable delay. Here are some guidelines on what graduate students can expect in ordinary circumstances. (Note that allowances need to be made for leave, travel, illness, unusually demanding short-term projects, and other special circumstances.) My advisor meets with me (by appointment) on request, as long as I ensure that the meetings are productive in helping me achieve research or academic goals. My advisor meets with me (by appointment) at least every 1-2 months, by audio-conference as necessary. When I submit a research plan, progress report, thesis draft, completed thesis or project, or other work to my advisor for review, my advisor tells me when the review will be completed, and completes it as promised (absent serious extenuating circumstances). Most projects can be reviewed in 2 weeks, most Master s theses in 2-3 weeks, and most Ph.D. dissertations in 4-6 weeks, unless they are poorly written or fall well below normal academic quality standards. If there will be long delays, the